Wood heel



May 17, 1932. I G. cLAuslNG WOOD HEEL Filed Oct. 11, 1950 INVENTOR.

. ATTORNEYS! Patented May 17, 1932 PATENT or fice GEORGE CLAUSING, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO,- ASSIGNOR TO THE VULCAN CORPORATION,

OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO WOOD HEEL Application filed October 11, 1930. Serial No. $88,070.

My invention relates-to wood heels and particularly to wood heels for womens shoes.

In the art there has been several developments in which heels have been covered with different materials, and in which the material, after having been stretched or formed around the heel, has had the meeting ends tucked within a narrow channel or saw kerf groove extending heightwise of the heel in the heel breast portion. In some instances in which the heel is covered with relatively stiff material, such as metal or celluloid, the groove in the heel breast provides clearance for the ends of the material. In other instances in which flexible material, such as cloth or leather is employed, the end portions which are turned in are supposed to be wedged against each other within the groove.

Developments in the wood heel industry have tended toward the abandonment of metal covered heels, and in heels in which the ends of a flexible covering are tucked in and wedged together, the ends cannot, without considerable difliculty, be drawn tautly within the groove. If a thin blade is used for forcing the meeting ends within the groove, there is always an opening left by the blade after its withdrawal, and there is not sufficient clearance to draw the end portions of the covering within the slot.

It is the object of my invention to provide a heel construction in which a dovetailed mortise is employed, in which the ends of the covering material can be tightly secured against the side walls of the mortise, and in which a wedge member may, after insertion, become a permanent part of the heel, and may be employed to pull the end edges of the material taut and press them against side walls of the mortise so as to present a clean cut heel breast groove line. Another object is the provision of a heel with a dovetail mortise having a narrow opening extending along the surface of the heel breast through which ends of the covering material are pulled taut, thereby making a clean out line after the ends of the cover have been drawn in.

Not only is my new type of heel inexpensive to manufacture, but the labor required in the covering operation is materially reduced, because the covering material fits more tightly and holds more permanently; with or without a wedge.

The above objects and others to which reference will be made in the ensuing disclosure, I accomplish by that certain combination and arrangement of parts of which I have shown a preferred example.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective View of the wood en heel prior to its being covered.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the heel after being covered, and showing how a wedge member or tool may be employed to.

pull the covering material taut through the opening into the dovetail mortise.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the wedge member or tool shown in Fig. 2.

The wooden Cuban heel 1 has a dovetail mortise 2 which, as indicated, extends heightwise of the heel in the heel breast portion. The slot or groove shown has a thin opening 3 along the surface of the heel breast and then the slot widens out into a wider base. The covering material 4 is applied in the usual manner by applying glue or cement to the sides, front and back of the heel and then stretching the covering material around the heel as indicated. The ends of the material are then tucked within the dovetail slot and pressed against the side walls. The wedge member 5. of suitable shape to fit snugly within the groove, may be employed by pressing it in from one end of the dovetail groove. As the wedge or filler member is inserted, it will pull the portions of the covering mate rial lying over the edges of the walls forming the opening 8 taut. If the wooden wedge is used, after it is in place, it may become a' permanent part of the heel assembly and the end edges of the covering are wedged apart into cemented contact with the side walls of the groove.

I have only shown one particular type of dovetail mortise, but it will be understood that other shapes of mortise, with or without filler members, may be provided to perform the same function of adhering or wedging the ends of the covering material within the groove.

A particular advantage of the wedge shape mortise is that the side walls of the mortise will accommodate uneven cutting and surplus material, as will be apparent.

Having thus described-:my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v A 'heel having a V -shap ed gro oveextend-ing heightwise of the heel along the middle of the heel breast, said heel having a cover enclosing said heel, end portions of said 'cover' tucked within said groove, and .a filler ,piece securing said tucked in edges within said groove; 7 r

, GEORGE CLAUSING. 

